Residents of Shalimar Colony at Kanispora here are up in arms against authorities for failing to macadamize the roads in the locality and repair the drainage system.
Locals said both the Colony roads and the drainage system were constructed at a cost of around Rs 96 lakh in August last year. A year one, while the roads are dotted with potholes, the drain system overflows at several places and needs repairing.
The locals alleged that use of inferior quality material was the main reason for the deteriorating condition of the road and drainage system.
As per official documents, the upgradation of the inner link roads and drain reconstruction was allotted to a Srinagar-based firm under ‘languishing project’ March 2019.
“The work was to be completed within two months after the allotment. However the executing agency started the work five months after its allotment in August last year,” reveals the documents.
After macadamizing around one km road and construction on drains, the executed agency left the work halfway in August last year, with the result the drain collapsed at several places while the macadamized portion was completely torn out.” said Siraj-U-Din Salam, a local resident and an RTI activist.
Salam, while blaming poor material quality as well authorities’ lackadaisical behavior responsible for the condition of the road as well as the drainage system said despite appraising the authorities concerned about the issue, no proper action was initiated against the executing agency.
He said in December last year, residents made a representation to Deputy Commissioner (DC) Barumulla following which Additional Deputy Commissioner was asked to look in to the grievance.
“But till date authorities haven’t completed the probe, leaving local residents in lurch,” he said.
The DC said he will look in to the matter. “If the grievance are found true, stern action will be taken against the people responsible,” he said.